SENATE RESOLUTION 789--RECOGNIZING JUNE 2026, AS "LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH"

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Record: Senate Floor
Section type: Recognition
Chamber: Senate
Date: June 24, 2026
Congress: 119th Congress
Why this source matters: This section came from the Senate floor portion of the record.

Linked context

Bills and resolutions: S.Res. 789 (119th Congress)
Committees: Committee on the Judiciary

Readable version of the official text

SENATE RESOLUTION 789—RECOGNIZING JUNE 2026, AS “LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH”

Ms. SMITH (for herself, Ms. Alsobrooks, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Booker, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Coons, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Fetterman, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Kim, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Markey, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Peters, Mr. Reed, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schiff, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Slotkin, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Warnock, Ms. Warren, Mr. Welch, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

S. Res. 789

Whereas the story of the lesbian, gay, bisexual,

transgender, and queer (referred to in this preamble as

“LGBTQ”) community in the United States is one of courage

rising from marginalization, of joy forged in the crucible of

injustice, and of progress built by generations who refused

to be silent, invisible, or erased;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals live and thrive in every corner

of the United States—from Alabama to Alaska, from barrios to

boardrooms—bringing with them a diversity of race, religion,

ability, origin, political belief, and lived experience that

enriches the soul of the United States;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals have made indelible contributions

to the ongoing struggle for civil rights and across every

sector of society, including education, science, law, public

service, the arts, technology, business, helping to shape a

more equitable and vibrant United States;

Whereas the persistent failure of Federal and State

officials to collect full and accurate data on sexual

orientation and gender identity causes tremendous harm to

LGBTQ individuals in the United States, who remain largely

invisible to the government entities entrusted with ensuring

their health, safety, and well-being;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and

have served, in the United States Army, Coast Guard, Navy,

Air Force, Marines, and Space Force honorably and with

distinction and bravery;

Whereas a decades-long Federal policy, known as the

“Lavender Scare”, that was rooted in the allegation that

LGBTQ individuals posed a threat to national security,

prevented LGBTQ individuals from entering public service and

resulted in the dismissal and intimidation of Federal public

servants, including Foreign Service members;

Whereas an estimated number of more than 100,000 brave

members of the Armed Forces were discharged from service

between the beginning of World War II and 2011 because of

their sexual orientation, including the discharge of more

than 13,000 members under the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”

policy that was in place between 1994 and 2011;

Whereas transgender people had been able to serve openly in

the military since 2016, but were arbitrarily banned from

service in 2025;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and

have served, in positions in the Federal Government and State

and local governments, including as members of Congress,

Cabinet Secretaries, Governors, mayors, and city council

members;

Whereas the demonstrators who protested on June 28, 1969,

following a law enforcement raid of the Stonewall Inn, an

LGBTQ club in New York City, are pioneers of the LGBTQ

movement for equality;

Whereas, throughout much of the history of the United

States, same-sex relationships were criminalized in many

States, and many LGBTQ individuals in the United States were

forced to hide their LGBTQ identities while living in secrecy

and fear;

Whereas, on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United

States ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015),

that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry

and acknowledged that “[n]o union is more profound than

marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love,

fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family”;

Whereas the HIV epidemic, worsened by government inaction

and social stigma, decimated LGBTQ communities—especially

among Black and Brown gay men and transgender women—and yet,

the community responded not with despair but with

determination, launching a global movement for health

justice;

Whereas people living with HIV continue to face

discrimination in the United States and, in certain States,

may be subject to greater criminal punishment than

individuals without HIV;

Whereas the LGBTQ community maintains its unwavering

commitment to ending the HIV and AIDS epidemic;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States face

disparities in employment, healthcare, education, housing,

and many other areas central to the pursuit of happiness in

the United States;

Whereas 17 States have no explicit ban on discrimination

based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the

workplace;

Whereas 19 States have no explicit ban on discrimination

based on sexual orientation or gender identity in housing;

Whereas 22 States have no explicit ban on discrimination

based on sexual orientation or gender identity in public

accommodations;

Whereas 30 States have no explicit ban on discrimination

against LGBTQ individuals in credit and lending services;

Whereas, as a result of discrimination, LGBTQ youth are at

increased risk of—

(1) suicidality;

(2) homelessness;

(3) becoming victims of bullying, violence, or human

trafficking; and

(4) developing mental health conditions, including anxiety

and depression;

Whereas LGBTQ youth of color are overrepresented in child

welfare and juvenile justice systems;

Whereas the LGBTQ community has faced discrimination,

inequality, and violence throughout the history of the United

States;

Whereas, at both the State and Federal levels, the LGBTQ

community, particularly the transgender community, has been

repeatedly targeted by politically motivated legislation and

executive actions aimed at restricting their rights, limiting

access to essential services, and erasing the visibility and

recognition of LGBTQ individuals;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States, in

particular transgender individuals, face a disproportionately

high risk of becoming victims of violent hate crimes;

Whereas members of the LGBTQ community have been targeted

in acts of mass violence, including—

(1) the Club Q nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs,

Colorado, on November 19, 2022, where 5 people were killed

and 25 people were wounded;

(2) the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, on

June 12, 2016, where 49 people were killed and 53 people were

wounded; and

(3) the arson attack at the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans,

Louisiana, on June 24, 1973, where 32 people died;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals face persecution, violence, and

death in many parts of the world due to their real or

perceived sexual orientation or gender identity;

Whereas, despite recent wins to strike down longstanding

criminalization statutes, more than 60 countries criminalize

consensual same-sex conduct and more than 10 jurisdictions

authorize the use of the death penalty as punishment for this

conduct;

Whereas many other countries criminalize gender identity

using so-called “cross-dressing,” “impersonation,”

“disguise,” or other vague “public morality” laws;

Whereas, in recent years, several countries have passed

legislation or instituted policies that increase criminal

penalties or impose other restrictions on the human rights

and fundamental freedoms of LGBTQ persons, including in

Burkina Faso, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Niger, Russia, Senegal, and

Uganda;

Whereas hundreds of individuals around the world are

arrested and, in some cases, tortured or even executed

because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or

gender identity in countries and territories such as

Cameroon, Chechnya, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia,

Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan;

Whereas the global movement for marriage equality continues

to gain momentum, with same-sex couples being provided the

freedom to marry in thirty-nine countries around the globe,

most recently in Thailand, Liechtenstein, and Greece;

Whereas, since June 2019, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Northern

Ireland, Switzerland, Chile, Slovenia, Andorra, Cuba, Greece,

and Estonia have extended marriage rights to same-sex

couples;

Whereas the LGBTQ community holds Pride festivals and

marches in some of the most dangerous places in the world,

despite threats of violence and arrest;

Whereas, in 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew

Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act

(division E of Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2835) into law to

protect all individuals in the United States from crimes

motivated by their actual or perceived sexual orientation or

gender identity;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have fought

for equal treatment, dignity, and respect;

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have

achieved significant milestones, ensuring that future

generations of LGBTQ individuals in the United States will

enjoy a more equal and just society;

Whereas, despite being marginalized throughout the history

of the United States, LGBTQ individuals in the United States

continue to celebrate their identities, love, and

contributions to the United States in various expressions of

Pride;

Whereas, in June 2020, in Bostock v. Clayton County, 140 S.

Ct. 1731 (2020), the Supreme Court of the United States

affirmed that existing civil rights laws prohibit employment

discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender

identity, a landmark victory for the LGBTQ community;

Whereas, in December 2022, Congress enacted the Respect for

Marriage Act (Public Law 117-228; 136 Stat. 2305), which

repealed the discriminatory legal definition of marriage as

limited to a relationship between a man and a woman, and the

discriminatory definition of a spouse as a person of the

opposite sex; and

Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States remain

determined to pursue full equality, respect, and inclusion

for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation or

gender identity: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) supports the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (referred to

in this resolution as “LGBTQ”) individuals in the United

States and around the world;

(2) acknowledges that LGBTQ rights are human rights that

are to be protected by the laws of the United States and

numerous international treaties and conventions;

(3) supports efforts to ensure the equal treatment of all

individuals in the United States, regardless of sexual

orientation and gender identity;

(4) supports efforts to ensure that the United States

remains a beacon of hope for the equal treatment of

individuals around the world, including LGBTQ individuals;

and

(5) encourages the celebration of June as “LGBTQ Pride

Month” to provide a lasting opportunity for all individuals

in the United States—

(A) to learn about the discrimination and inequality that

the LGBTQ community endured and continues to endure; and

(B) to celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ community

throughout the history of the United States.

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